In this issue
of Visual Themes, I shall take our readers to a historic site on the
outskirts of the town of
Firuzabad.
Firuzabad,
which means the place of victory, is an ancient town about sixty
kilometers south of Shiraz in the province of Fârs
in central Iran. The province of Pârs
(or Fârs)
is the birthplace of two ancient Iranian Zarathushti dynasties: a) The
Acheamenians founded by Cyrus the Great, and b) The Sassanians, founded by
Ardeshir son of Papak.

Ibn
Istakhri, a Muslim Iranian historian, mentions this site as a fire temple
of great importance built during the Sassanian dynasty. Other scholars,
historians, and archeologists report this site to be the palace built by
Ardeshir during late Parthian or early Sassanian times. Whichever proves
to be true, this site is certainly a monument to the daring personality of
Ardeshir, the founder of the Sassanian dynasty.

Background
The conquest of Persia by Alexander (330 BCE) did not totally extinguish
the sacred fire. The minor Princes of Pârs
in particular had preserved intact the traditions of the magi of the
Achaemenid period. One of them called Papak who was a petty king of Khir,
east of Shiraz, and whose father, Sassan, had fulfilled priestly functions
at Istakhr, capital of the kings of Persis, had begun to increase his
domain at the expense of his neighbors.

One of
Papak’s sons was Ardeshir, for whom he had obtained a high military post
in the town of Dârâbgird.
Ardeshir, who had conceived the
ambitious project of recapturing the power of the Achaemenids for himself,
took several towns in the province, defeating and killing the reigning
princes. He put down a revolt which had broken out in the region in his
charge and asserted his power by conquering the province of Kirmân.
Having succeeded his father in the capacity of priest-king, master of the
whole province of Pârs and Kirmân, he had a princely palace built at Gur
(present-day Firuzabad).

This
excited the jealously of Ardeshir’s sovereign, the Arsacid Ardawan-V (Artabanus),
and caused discord between the King-of-Kings and his subject, as a letter
from Ardawân to Ardeshir testifies: "You wretched Kurd, how did you
dare to build such a royal residence?" Ardeshir, so the story
goes, revolted against his sovereign and slew him with his own hand. After
this battle, which took place in 224 AD, Gur was called Ardeshir-Khurra
"Glory of Ardeshir." In 226AD, Ardeshir entered Ctesiphon, the southern
capital of the Parthian Empire.

During the next few years Ardeshir conquered Media, and attacked Armenia
and Azerbaijan. He subdued Sistân, Khurâsân, the land of Marv, Khwarazmia
and Margiana. The king of Kushans, the master of the valley of Kabul and
Punjab recognized his sovereignty. So five and a half centuries after the
fall of Achaemenid Empire, the Persians had reconquered their Iranian
domain and a new oriental empire had been created which could treat with
the Roman Empire on an equal footing.

The earliest image of the site at Firuzabad was sketched by
Flandin and La Coste; two Frenchmen who traveled to many ancient ruins in
Persia and drew sketches of these sites during the 1830s.

Architecture
The palace of Ardeshir overlooks a small lake fed by a rich spring; water
flowing from this lake feeds the ancient city of Ardeshir-Khurra "Gur."
The main entrance iwan of the palace enjoys the view of the lake and its
vicinity. It is believed that a Persian style garden enclosed the palace
and its lake.

The
iwan or arched entry was a building innovation of the later Parthian era
which is found predominately in Sassanain palaces and buildings of
importance. One can still see older homes in Firuzabad and nearby towns
using the iwan as a main entrance overlooking its garden.

The Sassanian
style iwan is usually constructed between two halls as supporting elements
of the iwan hall. This style is used in other palaces in Kazerun, Qasr
Shirin, Sarvestan and Damghan.

As one walks
toward the main iwan of the Firuzabad palace, we see the majestic size of
the 44 feet arch, built at about 224 AD using local construction
techniques. The two parallel walls were gradually built closer by the
arch-shaped ceiling while the main load was carried by the background
thick wall. One could enter the throne room through the gate in the
background wall.

The throne room is a majestic room with the height
of almost a three story building. Remaining plaster works on the walls
depict use of Achaemenian patterns.

A
cross section of the front view of the palace drawn by art historian Oscar
Reuther shows three similar domed rooms behind the main iwan.

The throne room's ceiling is a large dome
built using construction material found in the area, rock set in mortar
covered by stucco. It is a wonder to see this dome still standing after
eighteen centuries.

All interior walls of the palace have niches
built in them; every niche is covered by an arch centered on top of it.

Internal doorways and openings of the palace
all enjoy the similar style of an arch centered on top of the opening or
doorway.

A view of the interior court and sections of the
palace. All the private sections open into this main hall.

The
exterior walls are thick and tall providing protection for the palace.
This picture shows the western exterior wall of the palace.

This
picture shows the southern exterior wall of the palace; built tall and
thick to protect the palace.

This huge stone tower stands in the middle of
the ruins of ancient city of "Ardeshir Khurra" Gur. Perhaps it was a fire
tower or a commemorative structure.

ConclusionWith all the overwhelming archeological evidence one might think
the site was a palace built and used by Ardeshir. Then why would Muslim
historians refer to this place as a fire temple of great importance? It is
my opinion that as the Sassanian dynasty progressed, Ardeshir as a
priest-king, and his life achievements became a role model for his descendents;
and so his
palace was elevated into a royal fire temple.